'We’re going to enjoy the buzz and not get carried away by the event' - Kevin Lynch

In the Naomh Padraig, Uisce Chaoin club the air is thick with anticipation. They now stand on the precipice of history.   

Their forthcoming All-Ireland Junior Football Championship final presents the fact that they will be the first Donegal side to play a club final in Croke Park on January 25 against An Ceathrú Rua of Galway.  

Kevin Lynch, a stalwart of the team, embodied the spirit of the club last Sunday during his side’s All-Ireland semi-final win over Cill Mhuire of Cork when his late ‘45’ glided between the posts to send his side to extra-time on a 1-13 to 2-10 tie.   

But Lynch refused to bow there. Every time his team needed an answer when found in a sticky situation, he always came calling. Firstly, his penalty was scored in the dying minutes of extra-time to give his side the lead, before rattling home another penalty in a shootout to see his team prevail 3-1.  

"Sunday was a great day but we’re back focused now,” he said. “We know what we have to do now next week, so everything is being kept on the down low."  

"We know being the first Donegal club to play an All-Ireland final in Croke Park is a great achievement, we just hope now that we can get the reward."  

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Lynch, known for his prowess as a free-taker, offers insight into his mental approach under pressure. It’s something he just gets on with as he shuts out any thread of doubt.   

"I suppose, like any free kick taker, you try and put the pressure aside because if you’re hitting a ‘45’, or a freekick, or whatever it is, if you think that you have to score this otherwise your team is out, or you get overwhelmed by it, the chances are you’re going to go up and smash it or scuff it,” he said.  

"The end goal is to score a point. I suppose the short-term goal is to do what you’re used to doing, and not change how you practice. If you get a good strike on the ball first then you won’t be too far away."  

In a game that really showed a test character, it was a match that swung like a pendulum. Even when Rory Duggan’s extra-time goal went in for Cill Mhuire, many would’ve thought it was curtains for Naomh Padraig.  

A four-point lead by that stage look like too much of a gap to bridge but Lynch admits that his side never lost fate.  

"I don’t think anybody on the field had any disbelief because we were behind the whole game nearly and we were always coming back. In extra-time we were about three points down at one stage I think, we knew it was going to be tough but we dug deep, and certain players drove us on," he said.  

The thought of extra-time can have a gruelling effect on many teams but it’s can be made even worse when a team only had a seven-day turnaround, as Naomh Padraig did following their quarter-final win away to Tara in London.  

"We didn’t train too heavy the week after the Tara game,” Lynch said.   

“We were meant to do a recovery session on the Tuesday but the snow affected it. It was then put back to Wednesday, but it was called off again because of the snow, so that made it a bit awkward because when we eventually got to train on Thursday, we had to do it at in indoor astro because of the weather.  

"Our bodies were well recovered by the time the semi-final came around. We were fueled up, relaxed, and recovered to go into Sunday but with extra-time, you’re always going to go into that with your legs already fatigued, the same as after playing a full match.  

"In terms of preparing for the final now it’ll not be all go for the next week or so, it’ll be relaxed a little bit.   

“We’ll just stick to our routine and do our usual training. In terms of what messages we’re receiving, it’s just about being relaxed and doing what we’ve been doing all year and hopefully that’s enough to get us over the line."    

And yet, beneath all the highs this season on the surface of this remarkable journey for Naomh Padraig lies a poignant narrative. The memory of Evan Craig, a cherished teammate lost to cancer at the age of 24, serves as a profound source of motivation.   

"We only talk about Evan so much because we know how important he is to us. He was a great player for us and he was a very good person. He was very close to us and all we want to do is win for him."   

The promise made to honour Evan's legacy has propelled the team through each challenge, culminating in their relentless pursuit of victory: "We made a promise that we’d win a county final for him, we did that and we haven’t stopped since, so, he’s been our motivation."  

Now, standing on the cusp of an All-Ireland final at Croke Park, Lynch acknowledges the fulfilment of what this means for the club: "I suppose as a child your dream is to play for Donegal in Croke Park, nevermind representing your club in an All-Ireland final in Croke Park."  

"We’re going to enjoy the buzz and not get too carried away, but definitely enjoy the experience and not take it for granted."